a double dotted half note equals how many beats?
Posted by adminAug 6
How many beats does a double dotted half note equal?
And also what about a single dotted eighth note?
Please explain?
Aug 6
How many beats does a double dotted half note equal?
And also what about a single dotted eighth note?
Please explain?
4 comments
Comment by Michael C on August 6, 2009 at 1:42 am
How many beats a note gets depends on the time signature.
In 4/4 time, a double dotted half note would equal 3 1/2 beats (2 + 1 +1/2). In 4/4 time a single dotted 1/8 note would get 3/4 of a beat (1/2 + 1/4).
Just as a dot adds 1/2 of the value of the original note, the second dot adds 1/2 the value of the first dot. A third dot would add 1/2 the value of the 2nd dot and so on. So in theory, a four dotted 1/2 note would equal 3 7/8 beats (2+1+1/2+1/4+1/8) in 4/4 time. In practice, I don’t recall ever encountering more than three dots in any piece I’ve played. Most modern composers/arrangers seem to prefer to tie notes together rather than use more than 1 dot.
Comment by javadic on August 6, 2009 at 1:42 am
In 4/4 time, a double-dotted half note would have the value of 3.5 beats. A half note would have the value of 2 beats, and the double dot would increase it by 3/4 of its normal value, for a total of 2 + 1.5 = 3.5 beats. A single dotted eighth note would have the value of 3/16 of a beat. A single dot increases the value by 1/2 of the normal value, for a total of 2/16 + 1/16 = 3/16 of a beat. 1/8 = 2/16.
Comment by piano teacher on August 6, 2009 at 1:42 am
Hmmm…. I’ve been playing piano for 30 years. Can honestly say I have NEVER seen a double dotted note of any kind.
The value of a single dotted eighth note will depend on the time signature. In 6 8 time, it would be 1 1/2 beats.
Comment by jeannine90680 on August 6, 2009 at 1:42 am
A dot after a note adds half the value of the note to the note. So for example, a whole note is worth 4 beats. Half of four is two. So a dotted whole note is worth 6 beats. I think of it as a math equation.
whole note + whole note/2 = dotted whole note value
4 + 2 = 6
A double dotted half note would be 2 +1 +1=4 beats (okay, this is lame bc it’s just a whole note; but I guess you are trying to learn what the dot does.)
A dotted eight note would be 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4 beats (3sixteenth note length. - This is usually paired with a single sixteeneth note)